Beware, spring is snake season
Some snakes in South Africa are deadly to humans, but others are not venomous.
Snake catcher Christopher Mthombeni, the founder of Snake Pit, warned the residents of Ekurhuleni to be on the lookout for snakes while enjoying spring.
The man who’s been a snake catcher for 21 years said as the weather warms up, snakes come out of their long hibernation in search of food, so people are likely to encounter them in their gardens, backyards, garages and inside their houses.
“They will be after rats, mice, frogs and even other reptiles.
“When people encounter snakes, they must give them the right of way or scream and shout for help, but they must not jump or move too close to the snake because they are likely to be attacked by it,” Mthombeni explained.
He said when people come face-to-face with a snake, they must stay 5m away because some snakes spit venom.
“Watch where the snake ends up because that information is likely vital for the snake catcher, who will come to the scene to catch it.
“Do not try to kill the snake because you will likely endanger yourself. The snake can spit in your eyes, an open wound, or even bite you in the process,” said Mthombeni.
He said people bitten or spat on by a snake should immediately call for help.
“They must seek medical attention as soon as possible. If a snake bites you, the most important thing is not to panic. Take a deep breath because once you panic, you put yourself at risk of dying from shock.
“The other thing is do not run or try to drive yourself, and don’t tourniquet or cut the bitten area,” he advised
He said there are 180 species of snakes in SA, and only 10% are lethal.
“Another thing is that only a few clinics and hospitals in Ekurhuleni have anti-venom, so a snake bite or spat venom can be deadly.
“I’m based in Springs but cover the whole of Ekurhuleni,” he stated.
“To be a snake catcher, I did several courses. To name a few, I did the nature conservation course at Allenby College and furthered my studies at Eco-Training,” he added.
He said he had worked for several nature reserves and the CoE.
“I’m passionate about my job. I love it very much. As snake catchers, we are allowed to keep an injured snake for a certain time to treat it medically, then we have to release it in the wild,” he said.
People who encounter snakes on their properties can call Mthombeni on 083 239 7774.
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